2013/2014 Report from the Field Highlights Recent Successes

Every year, SARE's four regional programs provide grant funding to scores of cutting-edge farmers, ranchers, researchers and educators for projects that aim to improve the sustainability of American agriculture. To get a glimpse of some of these innovators at work, check out the latest edition of SARE's biennial report, 2013/2014 Report from the Field.

Georgia farmer Jonny Harris is partnering with University of Georgia researchers to verify what he has learned from decades of personal experience—cover crops improve the soil and benefit his business (see page 9).

Missouri farmers interested in growing elderberries—a high-value specialty crop worth up to $25 per pound—are now better equipped to do so, thanks to market research by a University of Missouri team that generated important production and financial planning information (see page 7).

With traditional methods of handling dead livestock either becoming more costly or falling under closer scrutiny, a team of researchers from four Western states developed in-depth training materials on livestock composting, an alternative disposal method that holds promise for achieving environmental protection, economic sustainability and job creation (see page 13).

An educational program in West Virginia spurred a seven-fold increase in the number of high tunnels in the state, giving farmers a new way to increase their on-farm income while providing communities with more locally grown produce (see page 18).

Report from the Field is a full-color, 20-page publication, complete with 12 inspirational profiles and tips for getting more information. It relates stories of innovation from every corner of the United States in key areas of American agriculture: soil health management, local and regional food systems, specialty crop diversification, and season extension, to name a few. Report from the Field also includes updates on funding allocations and priority activities in each of SARE's four regions.

Download all editions of SARE's Report from the Field for free, and order free print copies, by visiting the Learning Center. To learn more about print orders, visit the WebStore.

Related news

FAO has called for broader cattle vaccination to keep lumpy skin disease at bay in Eastern Europe and the Balkans, especially in areas where the risk is the highest.
In a position paper published today, FAO warned that even countries that have not been affected by lumpy skin disease so far but are considered at risk need to carry out risk-based vaccination to avert the spread of the disease, which can have devastating consequences for farmers, particularly smallholders.
Lumpy skin disease is a cattle pox virus...

With corn needing nitrogen, and pigs and cattle producing a lot of it, anything that offers a better way to use their waste to fortify crops should intrigue farmers.
Two agriculture experts at The Ohio State University have redesigned a metal tractor attachment so that it allows farmers to put manure on a field while crops are emerging.
Applying manure to growing crops, which is not widely done in Ohio or nationwide, can boost yields, reduce nutrient losses, and give livestock producers and commercial manure...

A significant portion of livestock, poultry and other crops are raised under production contracts. However, these contracts and their impact on the future of a farm can be difficult to understand.
On Wednesday, May 31, Neil Hamilton, Emeritus Director of the Drake University Agricultural Law Center, will present a free webinar designed to help farmers, advocates, and law students understand production contracts for contract growing, including the benefits, risks, and legal considerations. Paul Wolfe, Senior...

Livestock nutrition and forage preservation company, Volac, has had its recently-launched silage additive, Ecocool, approved by the German Agricultural Society, DLG (Deutsche Landwirtschafts-Gesellschaft), for improving the aerobic stability of maize and wholecrop cereal silages.
This prestigious approval, which is based on trials by three separate research institutes across Germany, gives farmers added validation of the product’s effectiveness, says Volac agri R&D manager, Philip Jones.
“Aerobi...

Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family - Kofi Annan.Agritech Expo Tanzania is offering take-home knowledge and skills from the free-to-attend interactive training workshops, in order for farmers of all scales to make informed decisions on new products and agri supplies by comparing them side by side in one location.
Tailored Workshops
1. Commercial farmers workshop on 26 January 2017 Theme: Enabling advances in commercial farming...

Customer comments

No comments were found for 2013/2014 Report from the Field Highlights Recent Successes. Be the first to comment!